I'm a Maitland local and went to Maitland Grossmann High. Like most people my parents, family and life experiences have heavily influenced who I am today. My parents worked hard, and their work ethic inspired me.

Why did you choose to study a Bachelor of Commerce, Financial Accounting, when you left school?

I didn't aspire to be an accountant. I wanted to join the police force or Australian Defence Force, but I made a deal with my dad that I would try Commerce for a year. I found I enjoyed the accounting subjects and decided to continue with the degree.

How did you get a start at PWC and what was your experience there?

I started at PwC as a trainee accountant at the end of my first year of university. I worked in the tax and financial accounting team and helped with the occasional audit. It was such a great learning experience and set me up to succeed in my future roles.

What led you to move to University of Newcastle and what was your remit there?

I was looking to move away from public practice when the opportunity to work in UoN's Controlled Entities team arose. I was with UoN for just over seven years, in many different roles within the Finance team, and made wonderful friends across many teams.

You then moved to Life Without Barriers (LWB) - why did you seek that change?

It was time for a new challenge, and the role with LWB was in an area that I felt incredibly passionate about - supporting asylum seekers and refugees. LWB is a terrific local charity that helps a broad range of people in the community. I was greatly inspired by its CEO, Claire Robbs, during my time there.

Why did you apply for the CFO role?

After taking maternity leave with our twins, re-entering the workforce on a full-time basis had to be for the right job. This meant Maitland (to minimise the commute so I could spend more time with my family) and working for an organisation that had a good reputation, that looked after their staff, and was respected within the community. The Mutual Bank is well suited to me on many levels.

You have said that you choose your employer based on their corporate social responsibility values and the way they give back to the community. Why are those values important to you?

I was raised to believe that if you can help others, you should help others. Working in the not-for-profit sector was really rewarding, and I wanted to continue in a community-minded company. The Mutual Bank is incredibly supportive of the local community and its members.

Also, you have said it's important to remember the direct connection between work in the "back office" and frontline delivery. How so?

Our back-office teams like the finance, human resources, marketing and communications, IT, risk, and compliance do much more than keep the lights on. Every employee has a key role in ensuring that our members are at the focus of everything we do. The back-office support enables our front-line workers to focus on their very important job of servicing our members.

Two months in, how are you finding the CFO role, and what have you identified as focus areas?

I have felt very welcomed into the role by staff from every part of the organisation. COVID restrictions and working from home has been an interesting environment to orientate within, and not without its challenges. I am enjoying the work and am looking forward to a long future here.

For me, the focus is on building strong relationships with my team and peers. That goes a long way to helping us achieve the strategic objectives of the business.

What do you hope to achieve in your time in the role - do you have any specific goals?

I'm increasing my knowledge of the many regulatory requirements of the banking industry and looking forward to developing and mentoring my team over time. My primary goal is to create a dynamic, supportive, and high-performance team environment.

You have worked in many sectors of your industry. If you had a dream role, what would it be?

My idea of a dream role has changed over time. When I was young, the dream was to be a fighter pilot thanks to the movie Top Gun. Now, the dream role is more about having an impact and maintaining work-life balance. It is a role that is close to home with flexible work practices. The organisation values its people and their contribution and gives back to the community. Based on that, I would say that I'm currently living the dream at The Mutual Bank.

What do you enjoy most about your profession?

I've always loved that accounting is the second oldest profession in the world. What I have enjoyed most recently is the strategic aspect. Whilst it is challenging and demanding at times, it is really rewarding to work with my colleagues on improving the overall performance, success, and direction of a business.

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